There is lots to do in the garden now that the sun is out, but you may be pleased to hear that you can cross one job off the list as gardeners are being asked not to mow their lawns. No Mow May is a campaign encouraging anyone with a garden in the UK to avoid mowing their lawns for the whole month.
The goal is to give wildflowers a chance to bloom to support pollinators like butterflies, bees, and ladybugs. Everyone loves having a tidy garden, but Charlotte Noar, a gardener and printmaker, has shared that not mowing your lawn will not only help the environment but can benefit the grass to make it much healthier.
Charlotte said: “Long lawns use less water. In recent years water shortages have become more common and a short lawn will dry out and go brown quickly.
“Sustainable gardening practices include using plants and techniques that naturally require less water; letting the grass grow longer means the lawn will survive better for longer without you having to water it, the long grass acting as a barrier to prevent moisture loss from the ground.”
Mowing the lawn too often can stress the grass out which can lead to shallow roots that struggle in summer heat and increase the risk of having a patchy, yellow lawn.
Giving the lawn a break will allow it to grow deeper roots which will make the lawn more resilient and keep it watered for longer periods to be more drought resistant.
Long grass will provide the ground with more protection and will feed more organic matter into the soil, so you are much more likely to have a greener and stronger lawn in the long run.
Just going a few weeks without mowing will increase the number of pollinators in the garden, which not only helps flowers flourish but can help keep certain pests away.
Charlotte said: “Some of the pollinators you attract to the garden will also naturally feed on the pests such as aphids in the garden, reducing the need for pesticides or more work by the gardener.”
Aphids are known to feed on roses, tomatoes, and many other vegetable crops, but ladybugs are one of their natural predators and can help keep these frustrating pests under control.
Slow worms thrive in long grass and are known to eat slugs and snails so you can cut down on the number of pests in your garden without any effort.
If you have never tried No Mow May before it may seem a lot to ask, but even just letting part of the lawn grow wild or planting wildflowers in plant pots could greatly help the environment.
Charlotte said: “If all garden-owners were mindful of how their garden benefitted the environment it could make an enormous difference.”
Not only would you be helping your local community and helping the lawn grow more resilient but having a meadow filled with flowers will make your garden look beautiful this May.
